Covid recovery: WHSmith airport shops exceed pre-pandemic revenue levels June 15, 2022 High street staple WHSmith is anticipating its full year outturn to hit the higher end of analysts’ expectations after its travel division has surpassed pre-pandemic revenue levels. In a trading update, the stationery seller said group revenue in the 15 weeks to 11 June was ahead of 2019 levels, sitting at 107 per cent. In [...]
Apple knocks Amazon off the top spot to become world’s most valuable brand June 15, 2022 Tech giant Apple has pushed Amazon off the top spot to be the most valuable global brand, ranking higher than Google. Apple is set to become the first trillion-dollar brand, with a brand value of $947.1bn with plans to enter into the Buy Now Pay Later arena. Google shot up the rankings to second place, [...]
Ladbrokes owner Entain snaps up Dutch rival BetCity for up to €850m June 14, 2022 LADBROKES owner Entain snapped up Dutch online sports betting operator Betcity this morning for as much as €850m (£729m) as the betting giant continues its grand push into Europe. Entain said it would acquire the entire share capital of Betcity from Sports Entertainment Media BV for an initial consideration of €300m (£257m) and deferred contingent [...]
Warnings of a profit crisis for retailers as margins shrink in the past decade June 14, 2022 Retail profit margins will plunge to 5.1 per cent in 2022, the lowest level in a decade. Excluding the initial impact of the Covid 19 pandemic and related shop closures, profit margins will drop to the lowest level in a decade, down from 8.3 per cent in 2021. Some 57 per cent of UK consumers [...]
Theo Paphitis: Dragons’ Den star says the high street is going nowhere and neither is he June 14, 2022 Theo Paphitis is not in any hurry to hang up his boots. After decades running the show at companies from lingerie to stationery firms, one might be mistaken for thinking the Dragons’ Den star, retail titan and former Millwall chairman may be mulling a change of pace. However, Paphitis tells City A.M. he has “a [...]
A struggle to get credit: Bank lending to hospitality nosedives following end of Covid loans CBILS and BBLS June 14, 2022 Outstanding bank lending to small businesses in the hospitality sector has fallen by more than £1.4bn since the end of CBILS and BBLS loans schemes. According to new data shared with City A.M., bank lending dropped to £14.6bn in April 2022, down from £16.08 billion in March 2021. With the cost of living crisis eating [...]
16,000 British Airways staff consulted on strike action as firm hopes to avoid ‘disappointing’ move June 14, 2022 British Airways has said possible strike action by 16,000 of its workers is “disappointing” as it seeks to avert summer travel disruption. The UK’s flagship airline is facing further chaos and delays if industrial action goes ahead, following a consultative ballot held by Unite. 97 per cent of those asked backed possible strikes over pay [...]
Nights out: Revolution Bars on track for earnings ahead of market expectations June 14, 2022 Revolution Bars has said it is confident of posting earnings slightly ahead of market expectations after strong trading over the Jubilee bank holiday. The bar operator, which owns brands such as Revolucion de Cuba and Revolution, said it had seen a “continued strong performance” across its sites. “Whilst not being immune to the widely reported [...]
‘Shambles’ Home Office still keeping tens of thousands waiting for passports to be issued, says Yvette Cooper June 14, 2022 Chaos surrounding the processing of passport applications is continuing with tens of thousands still reportedly waiting for one to be issued – putting their summer holidays at risk. Home office figures showed there were now under 3,300 civil servants working full time on the issue, down from almost 4,000 over the last couple of years. [...]
Battle of the brands: Lidl accuses Tesco of copying logo in High Court dispute June 13, 2022 Lidl has accused rival Tesco of copying its logo to “ride on the coattails of Lidl’s reputation as a discounter.” The claim was made by the German supermarket chain during a High Court dispute, in which Lidl said the logo for Tesco’s Clubcard Prices was too similar to its own – a yellow circle with [...]